Fuel burning apparatus

ABSTRACT

A fuel burning apparatus including a hollow shaft rotatively mounted within a housing, the hollow shaft being adapted to receive a fuel-primary combustion air mixture at one end and dispersing the fuel-air mixture at the opposite end in a radially outward spray through an opening in the hollow shaft, the fuelair mixture being combined with secondary combustion air, the secondary combustion air being supplied by air moving means driven by the hollow shaft, the air moving means being in communication with outside air through openings in the housing on the low pressure side of the air moving means.

Waite States atent Mutchler 1 Dec. 10, 1974 [54] FUEL BURNING APPARATUS FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [75] lnvemofi P Mummers University City, 647,733 12/1950 Great Britain 239/24921 [73] Assignee: American Air Filter Company, Inc., m y liam F- 0Dea Louisville, Ky. Assistant ExaminerLarry I. Schwartz ['22] Filed: May 29, 1973 [57] ABSTRACT [21] Appl. No.: 364,353

A fuel burning apparatus Including a hollow shaft rotatively mounted within a housing, the hollow shaft Cl 239/214-21, being adapted to receive a fuel-primary combustion 4 431/353 air mixture at one end and dispersing the fuel-air mix- Int. Cl. ture at the opposite end in a radially outward pray Field Of Search..... l, through an opening in the hollow haft the fueLair 163, 171 mixture being combined with secondary combustion air, the secondary combustion air being supplied by References Cited air moving means driven by the hollow shaft, the air UNITED STATES PATENTS moving means being in communication with outside 2,480,019 8/1949 Grimmeisen 431/168 air through openings the housing on the Pres 2,606,604 8/1952 Witherell 431/353 Sure Side Of the air moving means- 3,028,908 4/1962 Brola 431/168 8 Claims 5 rawing Figures, 3,782,887 1/1974 Brown 431/353 FUEL BURNING APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to fuel burning apparatuses and more particularly to a fuel burning apparatus utilizing a rotatively mounted hollow shaft in combination with a fuel nozzle for transferring a fuel-air mixture to a combustion chamber.

In a fuel burning apparatus, a pump is generally provided for supplying fuel or a mixture of fuel and combustion air to nozzles in a combustion chamber. Also, a fan or blower is usually provided for supplying additional combustion air to the combustion area adjacent the burner nozzles. One of the main problems in conventional fuel burning equipment is the control of the flame front which usually moves back and forth parallel to the flow axis of the nozzle, the flame front being a short distance in front of the nozzle orifice primarily because it is difficult to match the flow motion of the atomized fuel and flame front of a burning liquid.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the present invention, it is recognized that it is desirable to provide a fuel burning apparatus for controlling a flame front which usually moves back and forth parallel to the axis of the burner nozzle. Furthermore, it is recognized that it is desirable to provide a fuel burning apparatus which is designed for dispersing the fuel burning composition in a turbulent high velocity zone.

The invention advantageously provides a straightforward fuel burning assembly having a controlled flame front. The present invention further provides a fuel burning assembly which disperses a fuel burning composition in a turbulent high velocity zone.

Various other features of the present invention will become obvious to those skilled in the art upon reading the disclosure set forth hereinafter.

More particularly, the present invention provides a fuel burning apparatus comprising: a housing having inlet means and spaced outlet means and an opening for receiving a shaft end rotatively mounted within the housing, the shaft having a fluid passageway disposed therein, the fluid passageway having at least one inlet and an outlet; a rotor drivably connected to the shaft, the rotor having an inlet in communicative relation with a fluid adding means and an outlet in communicative relation with the fluid passageway inlet; the fluid adding means being in communication with one of the inlets, and fluid fuel and primary combustion air means; air moving means drivably connected to the shaft, the low pressure side of the air moving means being in spaced relation from and in communication with the inlet means of the housing whereby secondary combustion air is brought into the housing through'the inlet means; a nozzle on the shaft end adapted to communicate with the fluid passageway outlet whereby fluid discharging from the nozzle is mixed with the secondary combustion air being moved through the housing, the housing outlet being spaced from the nozzle and in alignment therewith to provide a combustion chamber disposed therebetween; ignition means disposed within the combustion chamber for igniting the fluid discharging from the nozzle; and, driving means for the shaft.

It is to be understood that the description of the examples of the present invention given hereinafter are not by way of limitation and that various modifications within the scope of the present invention will occur to those skilled in the art upon reading the disclosure set forth hereinafter. I

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a fuel burning apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view in cutaway of the compressor portion of the fuel gas assembly of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along a plane passing through line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along a plane passing through line 4--4 of FIG. 1; and,

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along a plane passing through line 55 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 1 illustrates one advantageous embodiment of the fuel burning apparatus of the present invention which includes a compressor housing 2 mounted onto a support member 1. The compressor housing 2 includes a rotor housing 15 adaptable for receiving a cylindrical shaped rotor 4 therein. Rotor housing 15 further includes an eliptical shaped plenum 3, rotor 4 being disposed therein. Housing 2 further includes an opening 6 and an opening 7 therein for receiving a hollow shaft 8 therethrough, hollow shaft 8 being closed at one end as indicated by the numeral 9 and is opened at the opposite end as indicated by the numeral 10. Mounted above the rotor housing 15 and in communication with the plenum 3 is a carburetor S, carburetor 5 being utilized for the mixing of the fluid fuel and primary combustion air for feeding into the compression plenum 3. The carburetor 5 is provided with a discharge conduit 14 which passes through the rotor housing 15 and into the plenum.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and2 the rotor housing 15 further includes discharge openings 17 and 18 therein, openings 17 and 18 being in communication with the plenum 3 for receiving the compressed discharging fuel-air mixture upon rotation of rotor 4. As shown in FIG. 2 the openings," and 18 are located on a side of plenum 3 opposite from conduit inlet 14 wherein as the cylindrical shaped rotor 4 turns in the eliptical shaped plenum 3, the fuel-air mixture is compressed in the plenum 3 and forced out in a compressed state through openings 17 and 18. Openings 17 and 18 are in fluid communication with plenum 11 and 12, respectively, plenums l1 and 12 being storage chambers for the compressed fuel-air mixture. Disposed within plenums 11 and 12 and passing therethroughis the hollow shaft 8. Hollow shaft 8 is provided with openings l9 and 21 therein, openings 19 and 21 being in fluid communication with plenums 11 and 12, respectively, whereby upon rotation of the hollow shaft 8, the openings 19 and 21 receive the compressed fluid in plenums 11 and 12 transferring the fluid into a hollow portin 22 of the hollow shaft 8. The compressed fluid is subsequently transferred through the hollow portion 22 and out at the end of the shaft 8, as designated by numeral 10, through a nozzle 23, nozzle 23 being discussed hereinafter.

Bearings 20 and 24 are provided for rotatably mounting shaft member 8 within the compressor housing 2, the inner periphery of bearings 20 and 24 being adapted to communicate with the outer periphery of the shaft member 8 and the outerperiphery of the bearings 20 and 24 being adapted to communicate with the inner walls 27 and 28 of the compressor housing 2. Stationary supported seals 29 and 31 are also provided adjacent the bearings 20 and 24 to prevent leakage of fluid from the plenum 11 and 12 out of the housing, seals 29 and 31 having inner peripheries adapted for fluid tight communication with the outer surface of the rotatable shaft member 8. Also provided is the driving means for shaft member 8, the driving means being a sheave 32 which is in communication with a belt drive and power source (not shown).

The fuel burning apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 is further provided with an impeller housing 33. Impeller housing 33 has disposed therein an impeller 34, air inlet openings 36, and an outlet 37. Impeller 34 is disposed between openings 36 and outlet 37, the low pressure side of impeller 34 facing openings 36 and the high pressure side facing outlet 37 whereby secondary air is brought into the housing 33 by way of openings 36 and moved by impeller 34 towards outlet 37. The impeller housing 33 is attached to the compressor housing 2 at 30 and 35 by some suitable means such as welding.

Impeller 34 is mounted onto the shaft member 8, the end of which projects into housing 33, by means of radial arms 39 which are adapted to be received by the circumferential hub 41, circumferential hub 41 being fixedly attached to the outer periphery of the end of shaft member 8. Means for attaching impeller 34 to radial arms 39 may be by any well-known means, such as, a key and set screw. The impeller 34 is mounted so that, as mentioned previously, outside air will be brought into the housing 33 through a plurality of openings 36 and moved in the direction of outlet 37. Impeller housing 33 further includes a baffle plate 42 disposed downstream of the hollow shaft member 8 substantially defining the entrance to a combustion chamber designated by the numeral 43. As seen in FIG. 3, the baffle 42 includes a plurality of apertures 44, 45 and 46 therein. Aperture 44 is in coaxial alignment with the outlet of the hollow shaft member 8. A plurality of apertures 45 are spaced radially outward from the interior aperture 44 whereby the fluid fuel-air mixture discharging from the hollow shaft member 8 in combination with secondary combustion air being brought in through the openings 36 in housing 33 passes therethrough. Disposed along the outer periphery of the baffle 42 is a plurality of apertures 46, apertures 46 being of semicircle cross-section receiving therethrough-primarily the outside air from impeller 34.-Also disposed within the combustion chamber 43 is an electrode 47, electrode 47 being adapted for igniting the fluid fuel-air mixture.

In FIG. 2, rotor 4 of circular cross-section is disclosed non-fully as being provided for rotational movement within eliptical shaped plenum 3. The rotor 4 is provided with a plurality of vanes 51 slidably mounted in a plurality of slots 52, vanes 51 being adaptable for sliding movement within the slots 52 upon rotational movement of the rotor 4. The slots 52 are radially disposed with reference to the axis of the rotor, but are offset to one side in relation to the eliptical shaped plenum 3 whereby upon rotation of the rotor 4 the vanes will slide in and out of slots 52 in order to communicate with a wall 53 of the eliptical shaped plenum 3. The slidable vanes 51 are provided with outer edges curved to conform to the curvature of the wall 53 and each pair of adjacent vanes 51 divides the annular space in which they work into pumping compartments. As the fuel-air mixture passes from the conduit 14 into the pumping compartments, the compartments fill up with the mixture. Upon rotation of the rotor 4, the compartments diminish in size thereby compressing the fuel-air mixture. Upon discharge from the compartments, the fuel-air mixture under pressure is forced out through passageway 17.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate more fully the conical shaped nozzle 23 which is adapted for communication with the outlet 10 of the hollow shaft member 8. Conical shaped nozzle 23 includes a center opening 61 therein in axial alignment with opening 1(lIwhereby the fuel-air mixture exiting from the hollow shaft member 8 discharges outwardly into the flame cone 43. Nozzle 23 further includes a baffle 63 therein for forcing fuel-air mixture along the periphery of the bore of the fuel nozzle 23 thereby allowing the mixture to accelerate radially inward toward the outlet 61 of the nozzle 23 then outwards in the direction of the center orifice 44 (FIG. 3) of the baffle 42. Nozzle 23 provides motion in a vertical plane at right angles to the axis of the nozzle thereby offering rotational motion in a vertical plane in addition to the customary forward motion of the fuel parti cles in a vertical plane parallel to the axis of the fuel nozzle. 1

In the operation of the fuel burning apparatus of the present invention, liquid fuel is brought into carburetor 5 by any known means and is mixed with air, discharging through carburetor discharge conduit 14 into the eliptical shaped plenum 3 wherein the rotating rotor 4 forces the fuel-air mixture under pressure into fuel passageways 17 and 18. Fuel passageways l7 and 18 communicate with plenum 11 and 12 wherein the fuel-air mixture leaving plenum 3 is stored in plenums 11 and 12 under pressure until the mixture is picked up by the rotating shaft member 8 at the openings 19 and 21, openings 19 and 21 communicating with the longitudinally extending hollow portion 22 of the shaft member 8. The fuel-air mixture under pressure is forced through the hollow shaft portion 22 toward the discharge opening 10 and out through the nozzle 23. Upon discharging from the nozzle 23 the fuel-air mixture is sprayed in a radially outward direction toward the center orifice 44 of the baffle 42. Fresh air or secondary combustion air enters the impeller housing 33 through openings 36 therein, the impeller 34 moving the fresh air parallel to the travel of the fuel-air mixture along the hollow shaft member 8. As the fuel-air mixture discharges fromthe nozzle 23 in a radially outward spray, it is mixed with the fresh secondary combustion air in the combustion chamber 43. Baffle 42 being disposed downstream of the nozzle 23 at the entrance to the combustion chamber 43 accelerates the mixing of the fresh air with the fuel-air mixture, prior to ignition by the electrode 47. Upon ignition by the electrode 47, the combustion gases produced thereby discharge through the discharge outlet 37.

It will be realized that various changes may be made to the fluid fuel burner construction as shown and described without departing from the principles of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A fuel burning apparatus comprising: a housing having inlet means and spaced outlet means and an opening for receiving a shaft end rotatively mounted within said housing, said shaft having a fluid passageway disposed therein, said fluid passageway having at least one inlet and an outlet; a rotor drivably connected to said shaft, said rotor having an inlet in communicative relation with a fluid adding means and an outlet in communicative relation with said fluid passageway inlet; said fluid adding means being disposed to provide a mixture of fluid fuel and primary combustion air to said rotor; air moving means drivably connected to said shaft, the low pressure side of said air moving means being in spaced relation from and in communication with said inlet means of said housing whereby secondary combustion air is brought into the housing through said inlet means; a nozzle on said shaft end adapted to communicate with said fluid passageway outlet whereby fluid discharging from said nozzle is mixed with said secondary combustion air being moved through said housing, said housing outlet being spaced from said nozzle and in alignment therewith to provide a combustion chamber disposed therebetween; ignition means disposed within said combustion chamber for igniting said fluid discharging from said nozzle; and, driving means for said shaft.

2. The fuel burning apparatus of claim 1 wherein said rotor and said moving means are mounted on said shaft.

3. The fuel burning apparatus of claim 1 wherein said air moving means is a blower impeller.

4. the fuel burning apparatus of claim 1 wherein said ignition means is an electrode.

5. The fuel burning apparatus of claim 1 wherein said rotor is of circular configuration mounted concentrically on said shaft, said rotor being disposed within a compression chamber of eliptical configuration.

6. The fuel burning apparatus of claim 1, said nozzle having a center opening therein in alignment with said fluid passageway whereby upon rotation of said hollow shaft, fluid discharging from said shaft is sprayed in a radially outward direction.

7. The fuel burning apparatus of claim 1, said air moving means is adapted to move combustion air in parallel flow to the fluid passageway whereby said fluid discharging from said nozzle is sprayed radially outward into said combustion air stream.

8. The fuel burning apparatus of claim 1 including a baffle plate downstream of said nozzle defining the entrance into said combustion chamber. 

1. A fuel burning apparatus comprising: a housing having inlet means and spaced outlet means and an opening for receiving a shaft end rotatively mounted within said housing, said shaft having a fluid passageway disposed therein, said fluid passageway having at least one inlet and an outlet; a rotor drivably connected to said shaft, said rotor having an inlet in communicative relation with a fluid adding means and an outlet in communicative relation with said fluid passageway inlet; said fluid adding means being disposed to provide a mixture of fluid fuel and primary combustion air to said rotor; air moving means drivably connected to said shaft, the low pressure side of said air moving means being in spaced relation from and in communication with said inlet means of said housing whereby secondary combustion air is brought into the housing through said inlet means; a nozzle on said shaft end adapted to communicate with said fluid passageway outlet whereby fluid discharging from said nozzle is mixed with said secondary combustion air being moved through said housing, said housing outlet being spaced from said nozzle and in alignment therewith to provide a combustion chamber disposed therebetween; ignition means disposed within said combustion chamber for igniting said fluid discharging from said nozzle; and, driving means for said shaft.
 2. The fuel burning apparatus of claim 1 wherein said rotor and said moving means are mounted on said shaft.
 3. The fuel burning apparatus of claim 1 wherein said air moving means is a blOwer impeller.
 4. the fuel burning apparatus of claim 1 wherein said ignition means is an electrode.
 5. The fuel burning apparatus of claim 1 wherein said rotor is of circular configuration mounted concentrically on said shaft, said rotor being disposed within a compression chamber of eliptical configuration.
 6. The fuel burning apparatus of claim 1, said nozzle having a center opening therein in alignment with said fluid passageway whereby upon rotation of said hollow shaft, fluid discharging from said shaft is sprayed in a radially outward direction.
 7. The fuel burning apparatus of claim 1, said air moving means is adapted to move combustion air in parallel flow to the fluid passageway whereby said fluid discharging from said nozzle is sprayed radially outward into said combustion air stream.
 8. The fuel burning apparatus of claim 1 including a baffle plate downstream of said nozzle defining the entrance into said combustion chamber. 